Fruit and vegetable cutter



July 12, 1932. c. E. DONAHOO 1,866,631)

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CUTTER Filed May 1, 1929 2 Sheets-Shet 1 July 12,1932- c. E. DONAHOO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMay 1, 1929 awn/mega.

Patented July 12, 1932 CHARLES R DONAHOO, orv nns'r MoLI InQIIiLInoIsFRUIT AND EGETABL 'C UTTER T Application filed May 1, 1929; Serial No.353,644.

This invention relates to a fruit-and vegetable cutter, oneof theobjects being to provide a simple and eficient device of this characterwhich can be used for cutting fruits and vegetables of different sizes,the severed particles falling freely from the device into any receptacleprovided therefor.

Another object is to provide a cutter having a hopper withinterchangeable linings 1 whereby the-same can be adapted to fruits andvegetables of different sizes.

A further object is to provide a cutter utilizing a disk mounted forrotation in a plane extending across one side of the feed hopper; saiddisk having blades disposed at such angles as to cutfreely through thefruit or vegetable, the latter being held by gravity in proper positionto be cut.

A still further object is to provide a cutter the blades of which areself-sharpening.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts andin the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying rawings the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawings, Fi ure 1 is a front elevation of the device. Figure 2is a section on line 22, Figure 1. Figure 3 is a rear elevation of thecutter. Figure e isa section on line -14, Figure 3. Figure 5 is anelevation of the cutting disk. Figure 6 is a perspective view of one ofthe inserts or linings that can be used int-he feed hopper. u 7

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates thebody of the cutter preferably in the form of a disk having a recess 2 inone side, there being a hollow supporting'bracket 3 preferablyintegralwith the bottom portion of the body and cut away, as

at l, to receive theedge of a tabletop or the like. Aclamping screw 5 ismounted in, the

lower portion of the bracket 3 and is adapted to cooperate'with'theupper wall of recess 4 to grip that portion of a tabletop inserted intothe recess.

As before statedthelbracket is recessed or I hollow as shownparticularly in Figure 3 and the bottom portion of the wall of recess 2is removed so that the interior of .the bracket 3 thus'communicates withthe recess 2 and affords an outlet for-cut material. I u r i .A hearingboss 6 extends from the body 1 a-ndat one side of this boss the body isformed with a feed hopper 7 the outer wall of which iscurvedtransversely as shown particularly in; Figure 4 while the innerwall is cutaway so that the hopper opens at its inner side throughoutits length into therecessQ. A rib 8 is made integral with the body 31and extends around the open innersideof the hopper;

A'shaft 9 is journaled in the boss or sleeve G and has-acrank arm'lO-orother operating means at one endthereof while itsother end isscrew-threaded as shown at 11- and detachably engages the center of'apider made up of a hub 12 and radial arms 13.2.

- A cutter disk 14 formed preferably of steel is riveted or otherwisefastenedto the arms 13 andis provided in advance of each of .the arms 13with a slit 15 parallel with said arms 13 and extending from theperiphery of the disk 14 inwardly to a notch 16 in the top edge ofthe'next adjoining arm 13 in advance 1 of the slit. This is clearlyillustrated in Fig.

ure 3. That edge or wall ofthe $111615 nearest the ar m 13 is bentinwardly toward th e body 1 and isbeveled to a cutting edg as shownat 17Thus whenthe' cutting disk 14 isIrotatedin the direction indicated bythe arrow in Figure 3 each cutting blade formed by the olfsetportionof'disk 14; with its cutting edge.

17 comeagainst alongthe 8' and sweep across the open inner side of thehopper 7 thereby to produce a shearing cut through an object seated inthe hopper and pressing laterally against the disk l. As shown in Figure3 each cutting edge, when it first reaches the open side of the hopper 7assumes a substantially vertical position parallel with the near side ofthe hopper but, as the disk rotates in the direction indicated by w thearrow in said figure, this edge will swing downwardly across the openside. As it cuts through the vegetable or the like bearing against disk14, it will also ride along the rib 8 and be sharpened thereby, thesevered par-' ticle being caused to pass through the. adjacent slit 15and fall by gravity into the recess 2 from which it will drop into asuitable container positioned beneath the opening in the bottom ofrecess 2. j v r a As the hopper 7 is tapered downwardly relative to thebody 1-, afruit or vegetable placed therein will become wedgedbetweenthe hopper and the disk 14, thereby expediting the cutting operation.The edges 17, while cutting through the fruit or vegetable'also serve todrag the same downwardly within the hopper and become more firmly wedgedtherein.

\Vhere small fruits orvegetables are to be used, the hopper can beprovided with a lining 18 of practically the same cross sectionalcontour as the hopper 7'. V This lining can be formed with'spacing ribs19. A flange 20 at the top of the lining will rest on the'upper end ofthe hopper andsupport the lining in spaced relation relative to thehopper and the cutting disk. This is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The free edge of the open side of the lining is, supported flush withrib 8 as shown in Figure 4 so as to cooperate therewith as a sharpeningmeans for the cutting edges 17, this sharpening-edge of the liningbeingrenewable and replaceable therewith; v

Obviouslyby unscrewing the shaft 9 from the hub portion 12 of the spiderthe cutting disk can'be detached from the body 1 and cleaned orrepaired.

What is claimed is:' V

A device of the class described including a recessed body having amarginal outlet, a hopper inclined relative to the body and openinglaterally 'thereinto throughout the height of the hopper between thecenter ofthe body and the margin thereof, a spider mounted for rotationin, the recessed body, a disk secured to the side of the spider andhaving slots extending thereinto from the margin, the advancing edges ofthese slots constituting cutting edges. each arranged parallel with butin advance o1 one of the arms of the spider,

the arms of the spider being secured tofthe disk to constituteradialreinforcements there-.

for, a lining removably mounted in the hopper, spacing ribs thereon,'thefree edge of the lining being positioned for wiping engage-

